In recent months, Iceland — which occupies a strategically important position in the Arctic, but has no standing army — had explored expediting a referendum on the subject of reviving talks, as POLITICO reported last month.
Polls show a clear majority of Icelanders support holding a referendum on resuming talks, though the population is more evenly split on whether Iceland should actually join the EU.
The EU’s Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos played up the bloc’s attraction as a security guarantor in a time of geopolitical upheaval.
“A significant decision now lies ahead for the Icelandic people,” Kos said Friday in a post on X. “In a world that is changing fast, the European Union offers an anchor in a community of values, prosperity and security.”
If the referendum is successful, Iceland would need to go to another vote once it finishes accession negotiations to actually join the bloc.
Zoya Sheftalovich contributed to this report.